6/28/2016

Numerous attempts to bring an Americanized live-action version of Koike Kazuo's classic manga Lone Wolf and Cubhave all fallen by the wayside, with Justin Lin (Star Trek Beyond) attached to direct one back in 2012. Despite the many failures Hollywood has experienced trying to adapt any of Japan's top manga/anime properties, they aren't giving up. This time the project is being spear-headed by producer Steven Paul, who has a proven track record after attracting Scarlett Johansson for Ghost In the Shell.

Variety reports Paul's SP International Pictures will develop an English-language Lone Wolf and Cub: Final Conflict, the iconic story of noble samurai Ogami Ittō who is framed for assassination by the Yagyu Clan and forced to become an assassin. Along with his 3-year-old son he seeks revenge against those who disgraced his honor.

Lone Wolf and Cub has been adapted into six live-action Japanese movies starring Tomisaburo Wakayama, and most are worth checking out. It's also been a TV series, stage play, and a video game, because everything gets turned into a video game over in Japan.

The plan is to get rolling some time in 2017 and it will be very interesting to see what approach Paul takes with the casting. He says the film will be shot with an "essentially Japanese cast", but does that necessarily apply to the lead role or just the supporters? Hopefully he's learned a lesson from the backlash Ghost In the Shell received for casting Johansson as a traditionally Asian character, but then we don't know if that brief uproar will have an impact at the box office.